Written Answers Tuesday 14 September 2010

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many suicides there have been among farmers in each year since 1999.

Shona Robison: The General Register Office for Scotland (GROS) publishes statistics of the numbers of probable suicides in Scotland. A suicide is a death which has been classified as either an event of intentional self-harm or an event of undetermined intent, and it is thought that most of the latter type are likely to be suicides. Further information about statistics of probable suicides is available on the GROS website http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/deaths/suicides/index.html .

  The following table gives the numbers of probable suicides registered in each year where the occupation of the deceased was simply described on the death certificate as "farmer".

  Table 1. Probable Suicides of Farmers1 in Scotland 1999-2009

  

Registration Year
Not a Retired Farmer
Possibly2 Retired Farmer
Retired Farmer
Total


1999
7
0
1
8


2000
7
1
1
9


2001
2
0
2
4


2002
5
0
1
6


2003
2
0
1
3


2004
7
1
4
12


2005
3
1
1
5


2006
5
0
1
6


2007
4
1
2
7


2008
3
0
2
5


2009
1
1
2
4



  Source: GROS.

  Notes:

  1. It does not include suicides of people whose occupations were described in other ways. For example, it does not include suicides of farm labourers, farm workers, gamekeepers, shepherds, tractor drivers or crofters.

  2. The deceased was over 55 years old, but GROS does not know whether or not he/she had retired.

Agriculture

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many farmers have been treated for depression in each year since 1999.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. Data from primary care and psychiatric hospital activity does not identify occupation of patients.

Antisocial Behaviour

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the first annual report on the implementation of the Antisocial Behaviour Framework.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33882 on 9 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Deer (Scotland) Act 1996

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to Scottish Natural Heritage of implementing control orders on estates under section 7 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 in each of the last five years.

Roseanna Cunningham: The costs of implementing control agreements made under Section 7 of The Deer Scotland Act 1996, including a profiled estimate for 2010, are set out in the following table:

  

 
Habitat Assessment Costs (£)
Deer Census (£)
DCS staff costs
Total (£)


2006
18,000
33,000
104,459
155,459


2007
71,030
35,800
 104,459
211,289


2008
126,725
78,944
 104,459
310,128


2009
74,000
76,000
 104,459
254,459


2010
25,500
76,000
 104,459
205,959



  In addition, £160,000 of assistance was provided under section 12 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 over two culling seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07 in support of a Section 7 control agreement. These figures do not include the cost of any emergency measures taken under section 10 of the act.

Dentistry

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce the number of undergraduate dental students.

Shona Robison: A review of the dental workforce began in June 2009 and the final report is due to be published in autumn 2010. Evidence from this review will be used to determine future student intake numbers.

Education

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35361 by Keith Brown on 16 July 2010, how it reconciles the offer of the 16+ Learning Choices with the most recent figure for those not being in employment, education or training (NEET).

Keith Brown: The latest school leaver destination statistics, published in June 2010, show that around 85% of young people who left school last year were in a positive destination nine months after leaving. This represents a small increase on the previous year and a positive performance in very challenging circumstances.

  The fact is that even although we have officially moved out of recession its effects are still being clearly felt on the labour market, with more limited job opportunities available to young people when they finish their courses. Nevertheless, 61.3% of Scotland’s young people aged 18 to 24 are employed, higher than the UK average of 57.8% (LFS April to June 2010).

  Local authorities, Skills Development Scotland, further education colleges and their partners are on track to deliver 16+ learning choices to all young people from December 2010. We are confident that this, together with the raft of new opportunities we have put in place, more college and university places, more Modern Apprenticeships and training programmes, Activity Agreements and volunteering, will drive further improvements and help more to achieve a positive and sustained destination.

Education

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children are home-schooled.

Michael Russell: The information is given in the Scottish Government Statistics Publication, Children Educated Outwith School 2009 , copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50387).

Education

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what duties are required for parents to inform the local authority that a child is to be home-schooled.

Michael Russell: Section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 places a fundamental duty on the parent of every child of school age to provide education for them, either by their attendance at a public school or by other means.

  Section 35 of the same act requires parents to seek the consent of the local authority if they propose to withdraw a child from a local authority school and home educate them. Section 37 places a duty, this time on the local authority, to take action in respect of any child which is being home educated, where they are not satisfied that the parent is providing suitable education.

Education

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring arrangements are in place for children who are home-schooled.

Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35399 on 12 August 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Fisheries

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33871 by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 June 2010, whether the draft report into the Infectious Salmon Anaemia outbreak in Shetland has been published and, if not, when it will be published.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Report into the epidemiology and control of an outbreak of infections salmon anaemia in the Shetland Isles, Scotland was published on 13 August 2010 and is available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/science/Publications/publicationslatest/SMFS/2010Reports/SMFS0104.

Forestry

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what grant incentives are available for forestry planting in order to provide a source for local wood burning for climate change reasons, and whether it is satisfied enough is being done to encourage a switch to wood burning technology.

Roseanna Cunningham: Grant incentives for forestry planting for local wood burning are available through the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). These include the woodland creation option of rural priorities and the option for establishment of short rotation coppice crops of willow or poplar.

  The Scottish Government is encouraging a switch to wood burning technology, with the priority to encourage heat or combined heat power (CHP) plants sized appropriately for the local resource. In particular, it has offered capital grants for woodfuel heating systems under the Scottish Biomass Support Scheme, the subsequent Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme, the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme and the SRDP. Grants are still available under the SRDP and the recent energy statement by the UK Government indicated there would be ongoing support for renewable heat. We are working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change to expedite the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive, which would provide long-term support for wood burning technology.

Fuel Poverty

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 60 to 65 receive the winter fuel allowance.

Alex Neil: DWP have informed the Scottish Government that for winter 2008-09 (the latest period for which figures are available) there were 3,282,870 winter fuel payment recipients aged between 60 and 64 in Great Britain as a whole and 289,030 in Scotland. They expect the figures to be similar for winter 2009-10. (Figures are available in five year age bands for people between 60 and 79 and for all over 80s.)

Fuel Poverty

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it considers raising the age threshold for receipt of the winter fuel allowance to 66 will have on fuel poverty

Alex Neil: The Winter Fuel Payment is included in the annual household income which is used to calculate fuel poverty. If this is deducted from the income of all 60 to 65 year olds approximately 1,100 more households would be in fuel poverty.

Fuel Poverty

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 60 to 65 are in fuel poverty.

Alex Neil: In 2008 (the most recent year for which figures are available), there were approximately 137,000 people aged between 60 and 65 (inclusive) living in fuel poverty.

Fuel Poverty

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ask the fuel poverty forum what impact the removal of winter fuel allowance from people aged 60 to 65 would have on fuel poverty.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum has considered the issue of the winter fuel allowance. In its report published in October 2008 it recommended that the Westminster Government carry out a thorough review of both Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments to ensure a better fit with fuel poverty. This was reinforced in the findings of its first annual report published in July this year.

  The Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum will keep this issue under review as one of the outstanding recommendations from its Towards 2016 report.

Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths there were in cases where pressure ulcers or sores were listed on the death certificate as a contributory cause in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The information requested is shown in the following table, which shows the numbers of deaths where pressure ulcers or sores were the underlying cause.

  Table 1: Deaths where Pressure Ulcers or Sores1 were the Underlying Cause, by NHS Board of Residence, for Each of the Last Five Years

  

 NHS Board
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009


Ayrshire and Arran
3
5
2
1
0


Borders
1
0
0
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
0
0
1
1
0


Fife
0
0
2
0
3


Forth Valley
1
0
0
0
0


Grampian
1
1
2
3
0


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
2
2
3
2
3


Highland 
1
1
2
0
0


Lanarkshire
2
2
5
4
4


Lothian
3
1
2
1
1


Tayside
2
1
1
1
2


Western Isles
0
1
1
0
1


All
16
14
21
13
14



  Source: General Register Office for Scotland.

  Note: 1. International Classification of Disease 10 (ICD-10) L89: Deaths for which decubitus ulcer, which includes, bedsore, plaster ulcer and pressure ulcer, was the underlying cause on the death certificate.

Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths there were in cases where pressure ulcers or sores were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The information requested is shown in the following table, which shows the numbers of deaths where pressure ulcers or sores were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate.

  Table 1: Deaths where Pressure Ulcers or Sores1 were Mentioned on the Death Certificate Either as the Underlying Cause or as a Contributory Factor, by NHS Board of Residence, for Each of the Last Five Years

  

NHS Board Area
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009


Ayrshire and Arran
11
8
10
6
4


Borders
1
1
5
1
0


Dumfries and Galloway
3
1
4
5
0


Fife
6
9
5
8
8


Forth Valley
3
5
4
5
5


Grampian
14
8
7
8
11


Greater Glasgow and Clyde
28
20
32
29
42


Highland (including Argyll and Bute)
4
8
7
8
5


Lanarkshire
16
10
21
14
17


Lothian
15
17
16
21
12


Orkney
0
0
2
0
0


Shetland
1
2
0
0
0


Tayside
6
8
11
12
9


Western Isles
0
1
3
1
2


All
108
98
127
118
115



  Source: General Register Office for Scotland.

  Note: 1. International Classification of Disease 10 (ICD-10) L89: Deaths for which decubitus ulcer, which includes, bedsore, plaster ulcer and pressure ulcer, was the underlying cause, or was mentioned on the death certificate.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Housing Trust initiative will produce guidance on how houses for mid-market rent will be physically integrated with other social rented housing in housing developments.

Alex Neil: The purpose of the National Housing Trust initiative (NHT) is to make additional private rented housing available at intermediate rent levels. It is not aimed at providing social rented homes. In some cases NHT homes may be provided on sites where there is social housing, but in others there may not be any social housing on the site. Proposed sites will be assessed by local authorities and the Scottish Futures Trust on the basis of the suitability and location of the homes for NHT and so guidance will not be required on physical integration of NHT homes with social rented housing.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Housing Trust initiative will produce guidance on how to achieve the numerical balance between houses for mid-market rent and other social rented houses in housing developments.

Alex Neil: It is for participating local authorities, in discussion with the Scottish Government (SG), to lead on and determine the appropriate balance between the provision of intermediate rented homes through the National Housing Trust initiative (NHT) and the provisions of social rented housing throughout their area, based on evidence from their Housing Need and Demand Assessments (HNDAs).The SG does not feel that guidance is required in relation to this, beyond the guidance already provided to local authorities by the SG on the preparation of Local Housing Strategies and HNDAs. This guidance is available on the SG website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk .

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Housing Trust initiative will produce guidance on the level of specification for houses designated as being for mid-market rent in housing developments.

Alex Neil: The 2007 building regulations will be the minimum standard that all local authorities will expect developers to meet. However, it is envisaged that during the bid evaluation process the quality of the houses will be taken into account.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the National Housing Trust initiative will produce guidance on the conditions under which a mid-market rent for a householder would be terminated.

Alex Neil: A short assured tenancy agreement and tenants’ handbook are being prepared for the National Housing Trust initiative (NHT). These will make clear to tenants the circumstances under which their tenancy would be terminated.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32230 by Alex Neil on 16 March 2010, when the method of recording housing support data will be published.

Alex Neil: The methodology to be used will be published once this has been agreed by the short-life working group. At its April meeting members of the working group asked Scottish Government statisticians to consult with the Care Commission to identify whether the Care Commission annual statistical return could be used to gather the information needed. The working group will consider a report back on these discussions at its next meeting at the end of September or early October. Other options are also being considered. The minutes of meetings of the working group and papers providing detailed discussions on the merits of different options are available on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/SurveySupportingPeople.

Housing

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to continue or develop the Rural Homes for Rent scheme.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government intends to continue its Rural Homes for Rent Pilot Scheme by moving to a second bidding round. This further round will be expanded to permit landowners in rural areas to develop proposals for the renovation of empty properties as well as the development of new build houses. It will also provide an opportunity for community landowners who were unable to participate in the first round to prepare and submit bids.

  The timescale and level of funding for this second round will be dependent upon the overall level of resources that will be available for social housing in future years.

  Full details of the pilot scheme, including applications received and those projects being supported, have been published on the Scottish Government’s website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/grants/ruralhomesforrent/ruralhomesforrent.

NHS Funding

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £9 million awarded in 2008 for the development of carer information strategies was allocated in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The allocation of funding to NHS boards and to the Scottish Ambulance Service for the development of carer information strategies in 2008-09 and in 2009-10 is set out in the following table.

  

NHS Board
2008-09 £000
2009-10 £000


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
 77,000
 231,000


NHS Borders
 22,000
 68,000


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
 32,000
 97,000


NHS Fife
 69,000
 206,000


NHS Forth Valley
 53,000
 159,000


NHS Grampian
 91,000
 274,000


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 245,000
 734,000


NHS Highland
 65,000
 195,000


NHS Lanarkshire
 108,000
 323,000


NHS Lothian
 136,000
 408,000


NHS Orkney
 6,000
 17,000


NHS Shetland
 6,000
 18,000


NHS Tayside
 79,000
 237,000


NHS Western Isles
 8,000
 24,000


Scottish Ambulance Service
 3,000
 9,000


Total
 1,000,000
 3,000,000



  A further £5 million has been allocated to NHS boards in 2010-11.

NHS Funding

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £9 million awarded in 2008 for the development of carer information strategies has been spent on training for NHS staff, broken down by NHS board.

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £9 million awarded in 2008 for the development of carer information strategies has been spent on carer information sessions, broken down by NHS board.

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £9 million awarded in 2008 for the development of carer information strategies has been spent on training for carers, broken down by NHS board.

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £9 million awarded in 2008 for the development of carer information strategies has been spent on NHS operating systems, broken down by NHS board.

Shona Robison: The £9 million allocated to NHS boards for carer information strategies (CIS) is for a three year period ending in March 2011. It is not possible to determine how much of the total has been allocated for specific purposes. We have not requested that NHS boards provide information on the level of resources allocated to particular aspects of the CIS. However, their annual reports to the Scottish Government must set out progress against the minimum requirements in NHS HDL (2006) 22 (24 April 2006). Based on the annual reports for the first year, 2008-09, there has been progress across all NHS boards in the main priority areas, with more to be done. The annual reports for the second year, 2009-10 have been requested and some have been submitted. They will all be assessed for continuing progress.

Roads

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision has been taken regarding the renewal of the contracts for the management and maintenance of the trunk road network.

Stewart Stevenson: I am able to confirm today that the existing contracts for the north west and south west trunk road units will be extended from 31 March 2011 to 31 May 2012. As a result, I am also confirming today that the procurement of the new contracts for these two units will begin later this month to enable new contracts to be in place by 1 June 2012.

Scottish Islamic Foundation

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding that it gave to the Scottish Islamic Foundation in the last year has been spent on salaries and expenses of officers.

Alex Neil: Since October 2009, £14,437 of the funding provided to the Scottish Islamic Foundation by the Scottish Government has been spent on officers’ salaries.

Scottish Islamic Foundation

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding that it gave to the Scottish Islamic Foundation in the last year has been spent on overseas visits by members.

Alex Neil: No funding provided to the Scottish Islamic Foundation by the Scottish Government in the last year has been spent on overseas visits by members of that organisation.

Young People

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many direct financial payments have been made to support sports clubs and sports governing bodies to improve club facilities in each year since 2007.

Shona Robison: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as no direct payments are made to either sports clubs or sports governing bodies to improve club facilities. However, the Scottish Government funds sportscotland, which in turn provides financial support and I have therefore asked the chief executive of sportscotland to write to the member providing the detailed operational information.

Young People

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many recommendations for secure accommodation by a children’s panel have been rejected, overturned, or commuted by the chief social work officer since June 2010, broken down by local authority.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government does not collect this information.